To the Rhythm of the Ocean's Tides
by SunnyZim
Summary: It is said that eternity begins and ends with the ocean's tides. It is fitting therefore that many of the defining moments in Jacob and Bella's relationship happened by the oceanside. This multi-chapter fic details six of these moments. A love story.
1. Defining Moment 1

**Author's Note: ****After much demand, I am FINALLY writing a multi-chapter Jacob/Bella fic!!! Do I hear sounds of APPLAUSE??? Inspiration hit when I was in church today (and should have been listening to the sermon *cough*) and here is the result - chapter one of my multi-chapter fic!! Now, here's the plan. I intend this to be 6 chapters long, each consisting of a defining moment in Jacob and Bella's life that took place by the ocean. Yep, you read that right. Of course, knowing me, it may end up longer than that. So, join me for the ride my dear readers and let me know if there are any defining moments that YOU wish to see (bearing in mind I don't write lemons). **

**BY THE WAY, my one-shot _A Golden Hearted Rose _was nominated for Best Quote in the Shimmer Awards. I think voting starts on the 27 Dec so hop on over there and vote for me! Please;) Jacob (and I) will love you forever! The link is on my profile.**

**LASTLY. Alas I cannot promise when exactly I will update this again as I need to do some research for the second chapter and I stupidly left my copy of _New Moon _in Cape Town. Hmph. So I'll have to see what I can do....**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Jacob or Bella. **

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**To the Rhythm of the Ocean's Tides**

**Defining Moment No. 1**

It is said that eternity begins and ends with the ocean's tides. The waves come and go, endlessly washing the shores, roaring and foaming and crying their memories to the skies. Day turns into night and still the oceans churn and toil. Buildings crumble and fall into ruin, empires pass away, men live their lives and are buried and yet the seas do not run dry. They live on, whilst everything else is dust and nothing more than a memory and a passing dream; a whisper on the eternal breeze.

It is fitting therefore that our story begins on the ocean's shore; a story that would be told for many generations by the light of tribal fires, and would live on in the crashing of the waves and the murmur of the wind. As with many such stories, it tells of friendship and family, of love lost and love refound. But this is no ordinary story. This is the tale of Jacob Black and Bella Swan, and their love that spanned a lifetime and overcame many obstacles before reaching its ultimate fulfilment.

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Our story begins on a rainy day in a little town called Forks. The fact that it was raining is not significant – indeed, if it was _not _raining it might be more worth noting. And on this rather ordinary rainy day, a little girl and her father were on their way to visit some friends of theirs, who lived in the neighbouring reservation, La Push.

Despite the ordinariness of the day however, this was no ordinary visit, for which one must be very grateful. Because this was a visit of condolence. The friends in question all belonged to one family, and they had recently suffered a most tragic loss. William (or Billy, as he preferred to be called) Black and his wife Sarah had been in a head on collision with a drunk driver a few days previously. Sarah had unfortunately been killed on impact, and Billy had been trapped in the wreck, the result of which was that he was now paralysed from the waist down.

It is often bemoaned that bad things tend to happen to good people, and this could not be more true than in the Blacks' case, for a kinder, more lovely family you could not find. The three children, Rachel, Rebecca and Jacob had been looked after by friends on the rez over the past few days, but just that morning Billy had returned from the hospital, and naturally he wanted his offspring around him. Charlie Swan (Bella's father) and seven year old Bella were on their way to see if there was anything they could do to help.

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"Now remember Bells, the Blacks have just lost their mom and their dad is in a wheelchair now, so they probably won't want to play, OK? Just...be understanding and be there for them. I'm sure they'll appreciate it."

"Yes, Daddy. I _know _that. You don't have to worry. It must be so horrible to not have their mommy anymore. She was so nice. I remember she used to let me help her when she was baking. And she used to read me and Jake bedtime stories when I spent the night. Who do you think will read Jake bedtime stories now, Daddy?"

"I don't know sweetheart. Maybe Rachel and Rebecca?" he said rather doubtfully. "I'm sure that's the least of Jake's worries at the moment though."

Bella frowned to herself. She couldn't imagine not having a mommy to read her bedtime stories at night. Even though her mommy lived far away and wasn't married to her daddy anymore, Bella still knew she was _there _if she needed her. And now Jake and Rachel and Rebecca didn't have that anymore. Her little heart ached for them.

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Gravel crunched beneath the tires as Charlie turned the truck into the Blacks' driveway. No one came out to meet them, but he had expected that, so he simply turned the engine off and let himself and Bella in.

Whilst Charlie went looking for Billy, Bella's eyes immediately honed in on the little dark-haired boy sitting hunched up in the corner of the couch. His chubby brown cheeks were streaked with dirt and tears, as if he hadn't bothered to bath for the past couple of days, and the black shirt that he was wearing was crumpled and stained with something yellow and sticky. Bella found it hard to reconcile the picture of total misery before her with the sunny little boy that she had had such fun playing with in the past. She felt her heart clench within her with pity whilst sympathetic tears filled her eyes.

Running over to him, she settled herself on the couch next to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his wet little cheek. It was a mark of Jacob's total desolation that he did not immediately squirm and wriggle away from her as he normally would have done.

"Oh Jakey, I'm so _sorry!_" she sobbed into his shoulder.

Jacob simply sat there listlessly, not responding in any way, shape or form. Although the astute observer would be able to see new wet trails tracking their way through the grime on his face.

Bella cried for a little bit, and then getting restless, she sat up again and said the first thing that popped into her head.

"Let's go for a walk. My mommy always says that when you are sad, there's nothing like fresh air to perk you up. Come on, Jake!"

And grabbing his sticky hand in hers, without further ado, she pulled him up and practically dragged him outside into the sunshine (fortunately it was not raining in La Push). Without really thinking about it, Bella's feet turned on to the well-worn path that had led to many misdemeanours and fun-filled afternoons with the Black family. Jacob tagged obediently behind, and before either of them knew it, they were at La Push First Beach.

It was not much to look at, as beaches go. For one thing, it had pebbles instead of sand. But the air that blew from the ocean was clean and salty and the sound of the crashing waves was soothing to an aching heart. Here Bella plopped herself and Jacob down, still not relinquishing his hand, and here they sat in silence together for a while. After a few minutes, Jacob's tears dried up, and he sat there, simply drinking in the sights and sounds and smells around them. And perhaps Bella's mother was right after all, or perhaps the ocean has healing qualities of its own, because strangely enough, he felt a little better, a little more....hopeful. Or perhaps it was neither of these things and was in fact the little girl beside him, who after a moment, turned and leaning in towards his ear, whispered softly "I'll always be here for you Jakey. I'll always be your friend."

Whichever it was, Jacob ended the day feeling marginally happier than he had felt when he had begun it. And as he managed to fall asleep that night for the first time in days, he could vaguely hear the rushing of the ocean in the distance; back....and forwards......back....and forwards......back.....and forwards......and it was to this gentle lullaby that he slowly drifted off with a smile on his face.

**A/N: If you review, I'll send you a virtual Jacob hug - and who could resist those? o_O Also don't forget to tell me what defining moments you would like to see! If there appears to be an overwhelming consensus, I may just write it for you:)**

**NEXT UP: Jacob and Bella meet again......many years later**

**Finally, check out my Charlie story _Through a Father's Eyes. _It gives an insight into what Charlie thinks about Edward and Bella's relationship, how he _really_**** felt when Edward left Bella, and why exactly he likes Jacob....Reviews are love!**


	2. Defining Moment 2

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know I said I wasn't going to add to this story...What can I say? I have a fickle muse and inspiration hit me again;-) Aren't you glad? I can't promise when I will update again because my life is pretty hectic at the moment and my muse, as I have mentioned, is very fickle. But we will see;-) By the way, thank- you so much for your lovely reviews on the last chapter - honestly, it is your support and encouragement that kept me going and pushed me into writing another chapter for this story in the end. That said, I would simply love to hear your thoughts on this new chapter - reviews are my bread and butter;-)**

**To the Rhythm of the Ocean's Tides**

**Defining Moment No. 2**

Jacob Black stood on the cliff looking down towards the tumbling waters. From this height the waves looked like soft white ruffles on a rippling blue background, but he knew that, once on their level, they would be rather more menacing. Quil and Embry, his two best friends, called up at him from below, their words muffled but the mocking tone in their voices evident nonetheless. Taking a deep breath, he tensed his muscles and leapt from the rocks, letting the air out with a _whoosh_ as he hit the water below, toes first. He allowed himself to sink for two to three metres, and then with a powerful kick, started to swim for the surface. Shaking his hair out of his eyes, he laughed with exhilaration, feeling the after effects of his adrenaline rush warming him from head to toe. Quil and Embry joined in the laughter, adding a few jibes here and there:

"See Jake, that wasn't so bad, was it? For a moment there I thought you would bale."

Jacob sent a wave of his own making in Quil's direction, snorting and replying airily,

"Nah. I just had to make sure I didn't land on you two idiots. The way you were swimming, I was convinced I would have to dive in just to rescue your scrawny necks."

Embry and Quil exchanged an identical look of mischief across the waves and simultaneously dived for Jacob who, suddenly realising his predicament, flipped on to his stomach and began to swim as fast as he could for the shore. Needless to say he didn't make it, and the boys' laughter and splashing echoed off the towering cliffs nearby.

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The sun was high in the sky when the three boys finally decided that the water was getting a bit too cold and made their way towards the shore with lazy strokes. Whilst towelling off, Jacob noticed a bonfire in the distance and the tantalizing smell of cooking meat drifted their way. Nudging the other two, he nodded in the direction of the fire and suggested that they go and check it out.

It appeared that the bonfire (and the food) belonged to some students from Forks who had come down to La Push for some hiking. They were more than willing to share however, and Jacob noticed that he, Quil and Embry weren't the only ones from the rez who had been drawn in by the smell of cooking. Sam Uley was also there with a couple of his friends. Jacob noticed with a twinge of envy that Sam seemed to have bulked out a bit since he last saw him, as well as gaining a couple of inches in height. Glancing down at his own rather slender frame, he wondered ruefully whether he would ever fill out like that, or if he was doomed to beanpoledom for life.

He was soon distracted from this train of thought however by the arrival of a few more Forks students, one of whom seemed strangely familiar, although he could not place where he had seen her before. She was small and pale, with long brown hair and brown eyes, pretty in an unassuming sort of way. He saw her shift uncomfortably, probably aware of his gaze, and not wanting to be caught staring he quickly glanced away again and returned his attention to the hotdog in his hands. He kept his ears open however, to see if he could catch the girl's name, and his patience was rewarded, for shortly one of the other newcomers introduced them all. Bella. Her name was Bella. Wait. _Bella? _Half-forgotten memories from ten years ago flooded back in an instant, and Jacob remembered a little girl with small, soft hands who had kissed him on his cheek and whispered that she would always be his friend. At the time it had meant so much to him, but then she had left and gone back to wherever it was she had come from and he had forgotten about her and life had gone on. Until now.

He glanced back up at her with renewed interest, searching her pretty face to see if he could find any traces of that little girl in its structure or expression. There was indeed a faint resemblance in the curve of her lips and the dreamy expression in her eyes, an expression that disappeared abruptly when she looked up and met his own. A faint blush tinged her cheeks and she quickly looked down again, twisting her hands reflexively in her lap. Jacob smiled to himself and looked away again. He continued to watch her however out of the corner of his eye, and when lunch was over and some of the party had left to go and hike, he made his way over to her to introduce himself. Again.

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" A little abrupt, yes, but he wasn't quite sure how else to start. And he didn't want to call her Bella when he hadn't seen her in ten years. It would seem a little too familiar.

Bella however didn't seem to think so and sighed dramatically. "Bella", she corrected with a hint of impatience.

Jacob wouldn't be deterred however, and held out his hand in a friendly gesture. "I'm Jacob Black. You bought my dad's truck." _And comforted me when my mom died and no one else could understand_. But he didn't add that.

"Oh." She seemed relieved for some reason. "You're Billy's son. I probably should remember you."

Jacob felt a small, quickly suppressed, twinge that she didn't remember him after all, and then reminded himself that what for him had been quite a big event in his young life, for her had probably been nothing more than simply playing with some random little boy. He swallowed down his disappointment, and made an excuse for her.

"No, I'm the youngest of my family – you would remember my older sisters."

It turned out that she _did _remember his older sisters (which made the twinge return), and they chatted about them for a while, and about the truck. He had been immensely relieved when his dad had gotten rid of that old tank. Bella was surprisingly easy to talk to and he quickly felt himself relaxing into an easy banter with her. It felt as though the ten years since they had seen each other had evaporated and they had been friends all their lives.

One of the other girls from the party, (Lauren was it?), seemed to notice this too, and asked Jacob if he knew Bella. She sounded surprised and a little put out for some reason. Jacob laughed, responding that they'd known each other since he was born. Which was true really, even if Bella didn't remember it. The girl then said something random about the Cullens and whether anyone had thought to invite them. Jacob glanced up at Sam, knowing that he was a firm believer in the old stories about the Cullens. Sure enough, a closed-off look had come over his face as he responded coldly that the Cullens don't come to La Push. _Way to make people feel welcome, Sam, _Jacob thought irritably, and then turned his attention back to Bella, who appeared to be trying to flirt with him; Jacob would have thought her rather awkward attempts funny if he hadn't been so flattered and eager to reciprocate.

After a moment or so, she asked him if he wanted to go for a walk with her, and he eagerly agreed, his heart racing a little faster as he wondered why she wanted to get him on his own. As it turned out however, all she wanted was to hear the old stories about the Cullens. Stupid Sam and his big mouth. Jacob knew that technically he shouldn't really tell Bella as it was supposed to be a tribe secret and all, but really, they were just silly stories. He couldn't help it if people like Sam and his dad actually believed them. And Bella was pretty and she was looking at him with big eager eyes and she wanted him to tell her and how could he resist? So he told her. And she listened with great interest, making all the appropriate sounds and comments. In fact, she seemed a little _too _interested, and Jacob started to worry that she would think that he really believed this stuff and laugh at him.

He decided a playful tone was the best way to go, finishing off his story with "So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" But he watched her carefully in order to gauge her response. She looked at him and smiled, replying that she simply thought he was very good at telling scary stories and he felt relief in his chest, and a twinge of pride.

One of the guys from the Forks party came over just then in order to alert Bella that they were leaving and the moment passed. From the jealous tone in the guy's voice, he obviously liked Bella and Jacob wondered briefly and regretfully if he was her boyfriend, but Bella quickly cleared up that misunderstanding; amusingly quickly in fact. It was clear that whatever this guy might feel for her, she did _not_ reciprocate. She told him that she would come soon and then turned back to Jacob with a smile. Jacob smiled back. "It was nice to see you _again._" he said, both to taunt the other guy a bit, and to see if he could remind Bella of their childhood friendship. Bella nodded and left, and Jacob sat back down on the rocks where he had regaled Bella with the secret stories of his tribe, and looked out towards the ocean. The sun was starting to set and clouds were rolling in from the horizon. It looked like it might rain later. Jacob grinned as he realised that this was almost the exact same spot that he and Bella had played together as kids. Maybe there was something of fate in their meeting again like this, here. Maybe, like the waves and the shore, they were irrevocably being drawn back together. Maybe. He would like to think so.

**A/N: Feedback is always appreciated;-)**


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